The Football Association of Ireland voted 74-7 (2 abstentions) to ask UEFA to suspend Israel from European competitions, citing breaches of UEFA rules on anti-racism and matches played in occupied Palestinian territory. The move follows appeals from UN experts and more than 30 legal scholars citing a UN inquiry that concluded Israel committed genocide during the Gaza war. The Palestinian Football Association has asked FIFA to impose sanctions, and FIFA has referred the complaint to its disciplinary committee. Critics say football bodies reflect broader geopolitical power and have so far not held Israel to account.
FAI Delegates Overwhelmingly Back Motion to Ask UEFA to Suspend Israel from European Football
The Football Association of Ireland voted 74-7 (2 abstentions) to ask UEFA to suspend Israel from European competitions, citing breaches of UEFA rules on anti-racism and matches played in occupied Palestinian territory. The move follows appeals from UN experts and more than 30 legal scholars citing a UN inquiry that concluded Israel committed genocide during the Gaza war. The Palestinian Football Association has asked FIFA to impose sanctions, and FIFA has referred the complaint to its disciplinary committee. Critics say football bodies reflect broader geopolitical power and have so far not held Israel to account.
00:08, 09.11.2025Conflict
Irish football delegates vote to ask UEFA to suspend Israel
Members of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) voted overwhelmingly to instruct their board to submit a formal motion to UEFA requesting the immediate suspension of Israel from European competitions, the FAI said.
The resolution, approved by delegates on Saturday, accuses the Israel Football Association (IFA) of breaching two UEFA statutes: failing to adopt and enforce an effective anti-racism policy, and allowing Israeli clubs to play in occupied Palestinian territory without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA). The motion passed by 74 votes to 7, with 2 abstentions.
UEFA had been preparing to hold a vote in early October on whether to suspend Israel over its conduct in Gaza, but that ballot was not held after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on 10 October.
Broader calls for suspension
The Irish resolution follows similar appeals from other national associations and international experts. In September the heads of the Turkish and Norwegian football federations urged Israel’s suspension from international competition. United Nations experts also asked FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel after a UN Commission of Inquiry report concluded Israel had committed genocide during the Gaza war.
In October, more than 30 legal experts wrote to UEFA calling for the exclusion of Israel and its clubs, citing extensive damage to football in Gaza. The letter noted that at least 421 Palestinian footballers have been killed since Israel began its military offensive in October 2023 and warned that Israel’s bombing campaign is "systematically destroying Gaza’s football infrastructure."
"We are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on 2 October, describing the debate as a "geopolitical issue."
Critics say the apparent special treatment of Israel in football reflects wider geopolitical dynamics. Abdullah Al-Arian, an associate professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera that sporting bodies often mirror global power politics and that Israel has been allowed to operate "with total impunity" during the conflict.
PFA complaint and FIFA response
In 2024 the Palestinian Football Association lodged a complaint accusing the IFA of breaching FIFA statutes, citing the war in Gaza and the participation of clubs based in settlements on occupied Palestinian land in Israel’s domestic league. The PFA asked FIFA to impose "appropriate sanctions" on Israel’s national and club teams, including an international ban.
FIFA deferred a final decision and referred the matter to its disciplinary committee for review. Observers described that referral as a procedural step that delays a political decision at the highest levels of football governance.
This Irish resolution adds pressure on UEFA and FIFA as national associations, legal experts and UN bodies continue to press for accountability and possible sporting sanctions.